Door construction



May 4, 1954 H. w. KOTTICK DOOR CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Shget 1 Filed Jan. 9, 1948 INVENTOR.

I H. w. KOTTICK ATTORNEY M y 1954 H. w. KOTTICK DOOR CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 194a mzluzzm FIG.

INVENTOR. H. W. KOTTICK ATI'ORNEY Patented May 4, 1954 DOOR CONSTRUCTION Hyman William Kottick, Orange, Va., assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Virginia Metal Products, 1110., a corporation of Delaware Application January 9, 1948, Serial No. 1,322

3 Claims.

This invention relates to building. construction and more particularly to that. of doors and simllar closure members, which are usually constructed for the accommodation of various locks of the general type including a latch bolt actuating unit and a latch bolt unit.

It is frequently desirable in modern building construction to manufacture the doors of sheet metal, usually sheet steel and known to the trade as hollow metal doors. In the manufacture of a door of this nature, openings must be formed in the side panels" and in one edge to permit in stallation of locks and other hardware. Difficulty has been encountered in rigidly securing the locks in place, as-sometimes the sheet steel is too thin to provide a proper fastening base for bolts or screws and if these are passed completely through the panels the metal merely draws up or yields as they are tightened. Furthermore, the thin sheet metal is usually inadequate by itself to provide a proper support for a lock which must undergo rugged use.

Another difliculty encountered has resulted from the fact that there are numerous manufacturers of locks which vary in construction and dimensions and it has often proved difficult to obtain a lock of the type which will fit a particular closure member. Consequently much construction work has been delayed and additional expense incurred in altering the closure member to receive an off-size lock or to provide substitute structure.

Certain manufacturers have formed hollow metal doors with lock housings rigidly attached within the door to provide a support for a particular brand of lock. .Withthis practice, it is necessary that the lock'for which the door was built be provided or the door cannot be used. Difliculties have also been encountered in obtain ing sufficient quantities of the desired locks and in aflixing the lock supporting members within the door at the time of manufacture and of modifying doors after they have been built to re ceive a different type of look.

It is an. object of. the invention to provide a hollow metal door or closure member which will overcome the difficulties set forth above and having apertures and supporting means adapted to utilize the locks of the larger manufacturers,

in which provision is made for the reception of lock mechanisms having different dimensions.

A further object of the invention. is the provision of a hollow metal door having the side panels stamped :or' otherwise formed of identical size and shape with latch actuating unit open=- ings,aescutcheon adaptor plate, a lock supporting frame and an edge plate interlockingly attached thereto having adjustable face plate mounting means.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a door capable of using almost any brand of lock of the same general type to be found on the market without modifying either the door or the lock.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary detailed perspective of a door constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary perspective of a door stile according to the present invention showing a latch bolt unit in place;

Fig. 3, a perspective, partly in section, of a door with one standard type of lock mounted therein;

Fig. 4, a perspective of a door stile with the face plate mounting of the present invention in place;

Fig. 5, a perspective of the face plate mounting shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6, a perspective of the anchor lug;

Fig. 7, a perspective of the spacer member;

Fig. 8, an exploded View showing the positioning of the lock supporting frame in the opposite sides of the stile;

Fig. 9, a perspective of a door with another standard type of lock mounted therein;

Fig. 10', a view, partly in section, through the stile of the door'with the lock mechanism removed;

Fig. 11, a perspective showing the inside face of an escutcheon adaptor plate of the present invention; and,

Fig. 12, a perspective of the reverse side of the face.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, a metal door in accordance with the present invention may have side panels H interlockingly attached to end or edge plates 22 and [3, commonly known as stile mouldings. The door may also have a: top plate or reinforcing channel it, a similar bottom plate or channel, not shown, and strengthening ribs or reinforcements M. The panels and plates are comprised of relatively thin gauge sheet" metal, such as aluminum, steel or other available material.

Although the inventionmay be utilized with a door in which the side panels and end or edge plates are integral or formed in one piece, certain advantages are gained if a separate end or edge plate is employed, as shown, and this may be attached by an interlocking joint 55 which is well known in the art. The door may also be provided with transverse ribs attached in a suitable manner in order to provide extra rigidity for the panels. A layer of sound absorbing vibration dampening material [6 may be placed between the opposed panels to reduce the transmission of sound through the door.

In forming the door panels, lock receiving openings IT as shown in Figs. 2, 8 and 10, are provided for the reception of lock actuating mechanism. These openings are of a size suitable to snugly seat the latch actuating unit housing of a standard brand, such as a Schlage, and which is adapted to fit a number of other popular makes. The lock receiving openings have a plurality of spaced fingers I8 struck inwardly from the apertures providing corresponding notches [3 on the periphery of the aperture.

A frame or strengthening member 25 which may be stamped out of sheet material is of rectangular form, having top and bottom webs 2 l and 22, open ends 23, and side members 24 spaced to snugly fit between the door panels with lock receiving openings 25 corresponding in size to the lock receiving openings ll of the panels. The rim of the lock receiving openings 25 is also provided with cut-out portions or notches 26 spaced in accordance with the spacing of the fingers of the panel openings.

The frame 20 is adapted to be positioned between the door panels in order to strengthen and reinforce the portion of the door adapted for containin the lock, commonly known as the door stile. It is anticipated that the door panels ll may be formed identically and the frame member 20 positioned between a pair of them followed by sliding on the interlocking end plate, thus making a substantially integral rigid unit.

In the manufacture of the end plate [2 a rectangular aperture 28 is provided to receive the latch bolt unit an face plate of a standard lock.

Figs. 4 and show the face plate mounting member 29 and the manner of positioning it, in the door behind the aperture 28. The face plate mounting comprises offset end portions 30, in-

termediate web portions 3|, and a central bolt receiving portion 32 having a substantially rectangular aperture 33. The intermediate web portions 3| have a reduced portion 34 with flange members or guides 35 offset therefrom. Anchor lugs 36 having guide receiving members 31 and a threaded aperture 38 are slidingly attached to the guide members 35 of the web portion 3!. The web portion 3| is also provided with an elongated aperture 39 to provide an opening through the web portion for the reception of suitable fastening members for cooperation with the anchor lugs. The face plate mounting are adapted to be rigidly attached to the end plate [2 by means of the offset portions 30 positioned equidistantly beyond the extremities of the aperture 28 in the end plate. The mounting is oifset in order to permit a face plate such as that shown at 40 to have its outer face substantially flush with the outer surface of the end plate.

Spacer members M which are substantially L- shaped are adapted to have a le thereof positioned between the end plate I2 and the web portion 3| of the face plate mounting, the other leg filling in a portion of the aperture 28 to reduce its effective size. With certain makes of locks the longest dimension of the face plate is substantially equal to that of the aperture 28 of the end plate in which case the spacing members are not employed. With other makes of locks, however, the face plate members longest dimension may be shorter than that of the aperture 28 in which case spacing members 4| may fill the gap. It is contemplated that the face plate mounting will be rigidly attached to the end plate of the door prior to the doors being assembled after which a rigid unit may be formed.

The face plate 40 of the lock shown in Fig. 2 having a lock bolt 42, is positioned within the aperture 28 of th end plate and spacer members 4| are employed at either end of the face plate to close the gaps at either end of the face plate which would otherwise exist. Fasteners 43 pass through the apertures 43 in the face plate and are threaded into the apertures 38 of the anchor lugs 36. In order to provide for the employment of lock face plates in which the fastener apertures are spaced at various intervals, the anchor lugs 36 may be spaced on the guide members 35 of the face plate mounting in accordance with the spacing of said apertures.

Fig. 3 discloses a conventional lock mechanism of standard make positioned in a door constructed in accordance with the present invention. The lock shown is of the Schlage type and includes a lock actuating unit housing 45 and a lock bolt unit 46. The actuating unit housing 45 has reduced housings 41 and a hub 48. In positioning this type of lock in the door the hub 48 is first positioned against one face of the door panel with the housing of the lock between the panels. The latch bolt unit may then be attached to the latch actuatin unit following which the escutcheon plate 49 provided with this type lock may be installed and the face plate fasteners secured.

For the reception of another type of lock such as the Sargent, which'does not have a lock actuating unit housing of the type shown in Fig. 3, but which includes a dead locking member 53 and a spindle 5| of small size as compared to the housing 41 of the Schlage mechanism, the invention' contemplates the employment of escutcheon adaptor plates 52 shown in Figs. 9 through 12. Each of these escutcheon adaptor plates comprises a substantially circular plate having a teardrop shaped or elongated aperture 53, and has a reinforcing plate 54 rigidly attached to one side thereof with an aligned aperture of the same dimensions as that of the plate. The reinforcing plate 54 also has spaced fingers 55 which are employed to fasten the escutcheon adaptor plate to the door panels.

In practice the escutcheon adaptor plates are located facing the door panels with the fingers 55 positioned according to the notches I9 of the panels'and 26 of the frame 20. The plates may then be placed against the frame with the fingers 55 overlying the rim of the frame within the door, thus forming a rigid interlocked assembly of the door panels, frame, and escutcheon adaptor plates. After initial placement they may be rotated to any desired position. Spaced threaded openings 56 in the escutcheon adaptor plates may receive fasteners 51 employed to attach the escutcheon plate 58 of a conventional door lock mechanism;

The escutcheon adaptor plates 52 are of relatively thick material in order to provide a strong support for the spindle of the lock and to provide a strong retainingaperture for the reception of the fasteners 51. The'elongated portion of the aperture 53 is provided for the reception of the dead locking member 50 of the lock actuating mechanism employed with this type of look.

It has been found in practice that a door construction and lock mounting means constructed in accordance with the present invention is adapted to rigidly and properly mount substantially all of the more popular tubular or bore-in types of door locks now commonly in use. Among these are those manufactured by Schlage Lock Company, National Brass Company, Allied Hardware Company, Technical Glass Company, Pacific Plastic 8; Manufacturing Co., Russell & Erwin, Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Co., Sargent & Company, Earle Hardware Manufacturing C0,, Yale 8: Towne Manufacturing 00., P. & F. Corbin, Norwalk Lock Company, Best Universal Lock Company, Inc., Pennsylvania Hardware Company, and Reading Hardware Corporation.

Although the invention is described as including a particular door panel construction including identical facing panels and separate end plates or stiles, it is apparent that the invention is not limited to use with this type door but might Well be employed with the more conventional door in which the side panels are integral with the end plate or stile. It is also apparent that the invention is not limited to the Specific locking means of the various portions of the device but that other equivalent expedients might likewise be used.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A frame member for strengthening the stile of a closure member having spaced panels with lock receiving openings therein, comprisin top,

bottom, and side portions and open ends, the side portions being spaced to fit between the closure panels and having notched lock receiving openings whereby the frame member may be attached to the stile by means of projections thereon being received in the notches.

2. A door construction comprising a pair of spaced panels, said panels being provided with aligned openings, a plurality of lugs provided on each of said panels adjacent the openings extendin toward the other panel, a frame positioned between the panels and having its sides abutting against the inner faces of the panels, the sides of said frame having recesses for receiving the lugs for fixing the frame relative to the panels and aligned openings in said frame aligned with the openings in said panels whereby a lock may be supported by said frame with actuating means extending through said openings.

3. A frame for supporting a lock comprising a top member, a pair of side members extending downwardly from said to member, a bottom flange secured to the bottom of each side member and extending inwardly therefrom, at least one side member having a lock receiving opening and lug receiving recesses formed in said one side member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 21,025 Schlage Mar. 9, 1939 978,300 Johnson Dec. 13, 1910 1,323,753 Gogay Dec. 2, 1919 1,574,493 Leonard Feb. 23, 1926 1,759,374 Schlage May 20, 1930 1,917,871 Birt July 11, 1933 1,938,112 Schlage Dec. 5, 1933 1,981,289 Schlage Nov. 20, 1934 2,004,510 Schlage June 10, 1935 2,013,412 Koenig et a1 Sept. 3, 1935 ,180,371 Schlage Nov. 21, 1939 

